CBO: Tolls, mileage fees would better fund roads

The federal government would get more bang for their buck if U.S. drivers were charged directly for their use of highways through tolls or mileage fees, a new study from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says.

The report from Congress’s budgetary scorekeepers says current “spending on highways does not correspond very well with how the roads are used and valued.”

The CBO said mechanisms like tolling, mileage fees or congestion pricing could be considered to fund transportation projects in lieu of relying mostly on gas tax revenue.

“Almost all federal spending for highways occurs through formula grants to state and local governments, and historically, less than half of the funding has been tied directly to the amount of travel on the roads,” the report said.

“Although data from the past 20 years show that, on average, pavement quality is improving, fewer bridges have deficiencies, and highway fatalities occur less frequently, those averages mask differences between urban and rural areas and between interstate highways and other roads, differences that sometimes are not reflected in spending,” the report continued. Read on…

Let’s Go Colorado

Colorado's transportation needs have gone unmet for decades. In every corner of our state, we lack the resources to maintain our roads, highways and local bus routes.

Because the state’s gas tax isn’t tied to inflation, there has been less and less revenue from existing gas taxes to address Colorado’s transportation needs. Today, Colorado spends just $69 per driver on transportation infrastructure, compared to 25 years ago when we spent almost twice that amount - $125 per driver.

CDOT has more than $9 billion in projects with no funding - and that’s only part of the issue, our local communities lack the resources to address congestion, maintain roads and improve safety. We need a statewide solution that ensures local governments have the resources to meet demands, addresses high-priority projects on state highways, and promotes multimodal transportation options that reduce congestion.

It's time to stop the band-aid approach.

In the next 10 years, 78% of Colorado roads will need to be repaired, but the state lacks the budget to keep up.

Colorado Department of Transportation

24-7, CDOT is committed to your safety and the quality of your travel on more than 23,000 lane miles throughout the state. We know that transportation impacts you on a daily basis, which is why we're always working to improve the way you move.

Click here for a map of all the projects we are planning and to see details of the projects included in your region.

Explore some of our areas of focus and what we are doing to address them.

CDOT regularly receives ideas for transportation improvements from the public. Everything from widening highways, building bike and pedestrian friendly roads, creating more transit options and constructing that long wished for light rail to the mountains. We would love to do all of these projects and more, but we’re up against a steep funding crisis.